Delhi Police busts LeT terror module: 8 arrested in pan-India raids across WB and TN

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Special Cell on Sunday announced the dismantling of a terror module directed by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) handler in Bangladesh, thwarting what authorities described as a significant threat to the capital.

The investigation began on February 7, after anti-national posters featuring terrorist slogans were discovered on pillars at the Kashmiri Gate Metro station and several nearby locations. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) flagged the provocative material to the Delhi Police Metro unit, prompting a multi-state manhunt.

Additional CP (Special Cell) Pramod Kumar Kushwaha told reporters that the trail led investigators to Kolkata, where two primary suspects, Umar Farooq and a Bangladeshi national identified as Robil Ul Islam, were apprehended with the help of local police.

The Bangladesh Connection

Interrogations revealed the suspects were operating under the direct command of Shabbir Ahmed Lone, a Kashmiri operative currently based in Bangladesh. Lone, a resident of Ganderbal, has a long history of militancy; he was originally arrested in 2007 in possession of an AK-47 and grenades while allegedly on a "fidayeen" mission to assassinate a high-profile political leader.

"He remained in jail for many years and was released in 2019. After his release, he again fled to Bangladesh," Kushwaha said. "Initial investigations have revealed that he reconnected with the LeT leadership and re-established his organisation to carry out terrorist activities."

Widespread Coordination and Arrests

Police stated that Lone had been systematically "reassembling his men" and conducting dry runs for future strikes. The module was not limited to Delhi; similar anti-India posters were discovered at metro stations in Kolkata on February 10, where the group had also rented a safe house.

The scope of the operation expanded to Tamil Nadu, where the Special Cell arrested six additional Bangladeshi nationals. Authorities alleged these individuals were being prepared for relocation to Kolkata to participate in active terror operations.

"The team then went to Tamil Nadu and, with the help of the Tamil Nadu police, arrested six more people, all of whom are Bangladeshi nationals," Kushwaha confirmed.

Investigators believe the poster campaign was a precursor to more violent activities, designed to test security responses and establish a presence in major Indian urban centres.

With inputs from ANI